DECOLONIAL BY DESIGN - ORIGINAL ONLINE PROGRAMME
For folks in comms, research and culture-making; who want design and communicate their work in ways
that move culture toward more
liberatory futures.
(While un-stifling self-expression).
UNLOCK NEW DEPTHS TO YOUR IMPACT
By using your work to share messages that the world needs to hear.
If you’re a strategist, storyteller, researcher or designer, are you aware of the incredible opportunity, power, and responsibility you hold in this moment?
You’re being called on to show up with greater intentionality and to play your part as a shaper of worlds. Yet with so much focus on unwritten rules about what’s “sayable” or not, authentic creative expression can begin to feel blocked. Ironically preventing us from tapping into our power to drive meaningful change.
With this in mind, any guidance around language within this course is offered as an invitation: one that empowers rather than stifles. But this programme is about more than the words we use. It’s about how we think about power, and how we communicate it.
Decolonial by Design’s curriculum is rooted in traceable lineages of knowledge, spanning thinkers such as Fanon, Hall, and Hooks, alongside timeless Indigenous wisdom. Building on this foundation, Decolonial by Design supports you to unlock the restorative message your work is uniquely positioned to share. It’s about expanding your capacity for authentic creative expression, rather than constraining its potential.
Keep reading to find out how.
FIRST UP,
What exactly is meant by decoloniality?
Decoloniality is about untangling ourselves from, and contributing to the healing of, the harms caused by colonialism; including its ideologies, systems of validation, and ways of thinking, being, and working.
It’s important to note that this differs from decolonisation, which is a material process: reclaiming land, providing reparations, returning artefacts, dismantling economic power structures, and more.
Decoloniality supports decolonisation. It’s the mindset, practice, and cultural shift that allow material change to take root. Applied effectively to communications and brand practice, tangible impacts often follow.
Most folk don’t know this: But the birth of commercial branding & marketing went hand in hand with the need to justify Colonialism and promote racist and sexist ideologies. With this in mind, DBD’s committed to support you to use the way that your frame and market your work to contribute to its Decolonial future.
This programme will help you understand where your work fits in the bigger picture and equip you to sow or deepen the decolonial impact of your projects, and communications.
Watch this short video
on the colonial history of branding for a real taste of what we’re talking about.
You should read this article too.
DBD teaches
Symbolic Literacy,
to heal the harms of
Symbolic Violence.
Symbolic violence refers to the subtle, often unconscious ways that media, systems and institutions perpetuate and reinforce inequalities and power imbalances through symbols, language and cultural norms.
DBD unpacks the way that Symbolic Violence acts upon various froups, ideas and identities - from left-handedness, to neurodivergence and nature.
Crucially, DBD teaches semiotic insight and symbolic literacy to support professionals like you to contribute to healing the harms of symbolic violence through the power of conscious creation.
INTRODUCING DECOLONIAL BY DESIGN
DBD focuses on the core components that lay the foundation for the coloniality of systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
DBD isn’t about attempting to track the endless manifestations of oppression.
It’s about providing a lens that helps you to recognise and disrupt them at their root.
Along with an understanding of the colonial logic that underpins racism and systemic harm, you’ll gain access to powerful provocations to guide your work.
I believe that folks doing work like yours
hold the raw influence needed to
meaningfully disrupt the status-quo.
So if you're:
• struggling to communicate with depth and integrity in a world where meaning is often shallow or co-opted
• hesitating in a hyper-critical, scrutinising world
• ready to champion voices, narratives, and ways of knowing that have been pushed to the margins
• hungry for insights that challenge your perspective and amplify your creative authority
• seeking a programme that grounds you in decolonial thinking while giving you the tools to reframe, disrupt, and lead through your work
This course is designed for you.
Included
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These video lessons are fused with academic insight designed to be immediately applicable to your work.
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Flexible, expert advice when you need it. Book hourly support across a range of topics—from planning to problem-solving. This focused consultation will help clarify your goals, map out next steps, and identify opportunities for growth.
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The Decolonial Discourse Deck is a powerful companion for your work. As the basis of the framework it asks you the kind of questions that I’d be asking if I was critiquing my work or yours. So when you purchase the course you’ll get a access to the questions included in the physical deck.
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You’ll get four categories of statements you can use on yours or your clients websites. (This means 12 statements in total). You can copy and fill in the blanks or use as a source of inspiration.
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You’ll also have the option to book a 30 minute complimentary consultation with me. (To be redeemed within one month after purchasing the course). You can use this to go over projects, pieces or the general approach to your work.
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Three statements you can use on your website, emails, proposals or contracts to inform new, existing and potential clients of your approach in regards to decoloniality / anti-racism within your work.
Once again, you can either copy, paste and fill in the blanks or use as inspiration to write your own.
Ready to start?
INVESTMENT
£325
£225
Until Tuesday 14th January 2026, Decolonial by Design will open “New Wave” seats for £225.
The “New Wave”
Over the past few years since launching this programme, the diversity among folks who’ve engaged with this work has spanned far beyond my original scope of “experienced professionals working traditionally within branding, marketing and advertising”.
Founders, artists, academics, non-profit leaders and adland creatives have all found value in this work. And I want to honor this growing diversity, not by making this bigger, but by creating more focused iterations, designed to speak to the subtle differences between these varying professional contexts.
To mark and support this shift, these “New Wave” seats will:
- offer lifetime access to the current three hour course (and any future iterations for your line of work)
– a live implementation session with me, focused on applying the course theory to an existing challenge or aspect of your work
– a chance to shape the next phase of the course for your field
This wave is specifically for folks working alone or in small teams. Where ideas can move from theory to practice with less friction.
Ideal for artists, academics, freelance strategists, storytellers, narrative change practitioners or founders.
If this is you, secure your space below.
WHY THIS? WHY NOW?
It’s time for a focused approach.
So there’s this idea that when it comes to decolonial theory, you should take the initiative, select from a general group of resources and figure out how to apply the insights to your work.
Worthwhile start? Yes! Especially for your personal Decolonial journey.
But not necessarily the greatest option when you want to apply the insights to your area of expertise.
When we learn a subject and don’t have any feedback, it’s hard to know if we’re making real progress. And with decolonial this can be the difference between learning and implementing or learning and still feeling stuck. This is why I offer a complimentary 1-1 session with DBD so you can reflect on where you’re at.
The general pick-and-mix route also makes it hard to specialise. And specialisation is important. If you were selling a property and needed to learn about the legal side, would you read a general legal book? Or a legal book that’s specifically about property sales?
Same when it comes to decloniality.
Start wide with a basic curriculum, yes.
But when you want to level up and effectively apply it to your field of expertise then it’s definitely time to go deep.
So if you’re a teacher, learn about decoloniality in education
If you work in sport – learn about decoloniality in sport
If you’re a scientist, learn about the coloniality of science
Yoga teacher? Learn about taking a decolonial approach to wellness
And if you’re working in comms, framing and programme design – then learn about the colonial history of framing and marketing, and how to take a decolonial approach to both
This is why DBD isn’t just another programme on decoloniality. It’s specifically designed for folk who do the work that you do.
So, who am I to be doing this?
CREDENTIALS
MA in Brands, Communications and Culture.
Dissertation and PhD research topic on the colonial history of branding.
CROSS-DISCIPLINARY
A background in arts activism, facilitation, spoken word community organising and non-executive leadership.
COMMITMENT
Trained over 300 entrepreneurs to use storytelling for social impact, with grounding in this work for over a decade.
With a background in Arts Activism (artivism) and an MA in Brands,Communications and Culture, I’ve spent over a decade engrossed in decoloniality and anti-racism education. From working with grassroots organisations to speaking and consulting for corporations and think tanks including the BBC, DEMOS, the Conservative Party Conference, Birmingham MET College and the House of Commons to name a few.
Now as a part-time PhD researcher currently delving into decolonial branding – I’m committed to continue sharing my work in the real worlds. (The revolution won’t be academicised.)
If we really want to shift our society, creatives like you need easy access to digestible insights – so you can powerfully apply them to your work. A more balanced and collaborative world where bridge theory and practice… is where the future of change-making is at.
What People Are Saying
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The Decolonial by Design course was absolutely fantastic. It covered so much, delving into complex issues - presented clearly with great visuals. It's such an extensive piece of work that I think should be utilised by advertising, branding and comms teams everywhere. I 100% recommend.
— Samantha Kuderna-Reeves, Good Stuff Partners
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The DBD course is incredibly informative, engaging, easy to follow and reinforces why I want to decolonize the way I brand myself and market my services. I definitely recommend this course to anyone looking to decolonize the way they approach branding and marketing.
— Brooke Smolley, Copywriter and Coach
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The Decolonial by Design framework is brilliant. I love how the provocations ask critical/complex questions in a clear and consice way. It's really helped me to reflect on the work that I do with NGOs. I think it's crucial for all organisations and marcomms professionals out there.
— Laura Tufis, The Marketing Pallette
NOW HERE'S THE THING
Decoloniality is a long term commitment.
But you can apply a framework to your projects immediately.
I’ve helped over 300 entrepreneurs and creatives get started in just one day. Through offline workshops with live group challenges that proved they understood their stuff.
Are you ready for a similar shift?
Click the link above to secure your New Wave seat.
The time to deepen your impact is now.